stevens



Mar. 5, 1929. R. R; STEVENS I 1,703,905 v ELE-CTRIC COUPLER EVICE Filed Sept. I3, 1927 STATIONARY GOA/6T6 4/ 4 4,1

Y VENS NEY Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

PATENT F Fl ROY R. STEVENS, OF'FOREST HILLS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASS eNoR 'ro THE WESTING- HOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF wILME nINe, PENNSYLVANIA, A ooaronArIoN O P NNSYLVA IA.

I ELEcT Ic ooUrLEE DEVICE.

Application filed September 13,1927. Serial No. 219,235.

pling of the type having butt contacts, some of which are fixed relative to the coupling and others movable, suchas disclosed in the prior Patent No.'1,601,164 of C. 0. Farmer,

I granted September 28,1926.

With a couplingof the above type, it is possible, in extreme cases of'misalignment of couplings in the act of coupling, for the contacts of counterpart couplings to interlock and thus result in the breaking of the insulation block which carries the contacts, as the couplings move laterally into align ment.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means'in an electric train line coupler of the above type for preventing the contacts of counterpart engaging couplings from interlocking.

In the accompanying drawing, the single figure is asectional view of contact portions of counterpart couplings, showing my inven tion applied thereto. r

In view'of Patent No. 1,601,164, it isonly deemed necessary to a clear understanding of the present invention to show a portion of the insulation block 40 of counterpart cou I plings, the insulation block at the left of the drawing, having the relatively movable contacts 41' and the other insulation block 40 having the stationary contact members 41.

According to my invention, the end Sta tionary or fixed contact member 41" is provided wlth a lateral extension A and one corat B.

' It will be understood that the electric train line couplings are carried by car couplings of the type in which there is a relative movement ofthe car coupling heads in the act of coupling and that this relative lateral movement is therefore present in the electric train line couplings in the act of coupling.

In the drawing, the counterpart coupling portions'are shown in an extreme lateral position, such'that without myinvention, the

lower end movable contact 41 might move longitudinally past theend of the lower end I movable contact 41", and thus cause an interlocking of the contacts, so that lateral movement'of the couplings would cause breakage of the parts. 1

ner of each contact is beveled off, as shown- By providing the extension A on the end stationary contact 41", the lower end movable contact 41' is prevented from moving longitudinally past the contact face of the lower end stationary contact 41". The interlocking of the other intermediate contacts is prevented because the space between adj acent contacts is of less width than the width of the contacts, so that a contact of a coupling cannot enter the space between adjacent contacts of a counterpart coupling.

It will be understood that the coupling may be provided with a plurality of horizontally disposed rows of contacts, so that there will be an end fixed contact 41" for each horizontal row. In such case, each of the end fixed contacts will be provided with an extension A.

Slight irregularities in individual contacts is provided for and lateral movement is facilitated by beveling off the engaging covers of the contacts, as shown at B.

Wile one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in detail. it is not my intention to limit its scope to that embodment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An electric train line coupling having contacts, some'of which are fixed and others being adapted to engage the fixed contacts of a counterpart coupling, and one of the fixed contacts having a lateral extension adapted to be engaged by one of the movable I contacts of a counterpart coupling.

2. An electric train line coupling provided with contacts adapted to engage contacts of a counterpart coupling, some of the contacts being stationary relatively to the coupling and others longitudinally movable, one of the stationary contacts having a lateral extension engageable by a movable contact of a counterpart coupling in the act of coupling.

3. An electric train line coupling provided I with contacts adapted to engage contacts of a counterpart'coupling, some of the contacts being stationary relatively to the coupling and others longitudinally movable, the outermost stationarycontact having a lateral extension engageable by a movable contact of a counterpart coupling when the contacts are laterally displaced in theact of coupling. a

4. An electric train line coupling having contacts. some of which are fixed andothers of which are movable relatively to thereonpllng, the movable contacts of one couphng being adapted to engage the fixed contacts of a counterpart coupling, and at least one of the fixed contacts having a lateral extension adapted to be engaged by one of the movable contacts ofa counterpart coupling.

5. An electric train line coupling having contacts, some of which are fixed and others of which are movable relatively to the coupling, the movable contactsof one coupling "being adapted to engage the fixed cont-acts of a counterpart coupling and one or more of my hand. r

ROY R. STEVENS 

